Frost-bitten Heart
by cre8ive.ovadose
Summary: Sebastian has been the spirit of winter for as long as he can remember. But he is lonely and sick of wondering whether or not he has a purpose. When he finds Nick, a sad boy about to venture into the abyss of adulthood, Sebastian feels the need to help him and it turns into a quest to save Nick's future and find Sebastian's past. Jack Frost!AU. Nickbastian.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Frost-bitten Heart 1/?

Rating: T

Characters: Sebastian, Nick Warbler

Summary: Sebastian has been the spirit of winter for as long as he can remember. But he is lonely and sick of wondering whether or not he has a purpose. When he finds Nick, a sad boy about to venture into the abyss of adulthood, Sebastian feels the need to help him and it turns into a quest to save Nick's future and find Sebastian's past. Jack Frost!AU. Nickbastian.

Warnings: Minor reference to past self-harm

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters used/mashed-up in this story.

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**CHAPTER 1:**

Sebastian had been alone for a long time. He could not remember where he came from and did not know where he was going. All he knew was that the Man in the Moon had given him the ability to freeze things and create snow out of thin air. He was Jack Frost but with a cooler sounding name – in his opinion, at least.

One wintery day in a small town in Ohio, Sebastian was letting the wind carry him where it may when a young man caught his eye. He had short dark hair and was wearing a navy and red blazer. He looked cold, his arms wrapped tightly around his middle as he strode down the sidewalk. Sebastian flew down to the boy's side, watching sadly. The boy didn't look happy; a frown pulling the corners of his mouth down, and his eyebrows together as he stared intently at the footpath.

"Why are you so sad?" Sebastian mused to himself aloud as he always did – no one would ever hear him anyway.

But when the boy froze and straightened, Sebastian's heart began to race and he shot twenty feet into the air. The boy turned slowly on the spot, searching for something.

"Who's there? Who said that?"

Sebastian didn't move, gripping onto his staff as if for dear life. He was panting and he felt sick – the boy had heard him. _Heard _him. He watched as the boy shook his head and shoved his hands in his pockets.

"You're going nuts, Nick," the boy murmured as he walked away.

Nick.

Sebastian let go of the breath he held in before he flew down, trailing behind the boy and watching him in awe. Nick. Nick could hear him. Maybe Nick could see him too.

Nick made his way home and Sebastian followed at a safe distance, making sure to never fall into Nick's line of sight. If the boy could see him, he didn't want to scare him in public and embarrass him.

Nick's house was smaller than Sebastian would have guessed. A beat-up truck was parked in the driveway and a small Christmas tree was standing in the living room window. Nick trudged up to the front door, unlocking it and shuffling inside. Sebastian swept in behind him, almost knocking into the boy as he tried to keep himself hidden. Nick pulled off his blazer, hanging it on a peg on the wall and kicked off his shoes before stalking into the kitchen.

A woman in a food-stained apron stood at the sink, her appearance frazzled as she scrubbed at a pot. Dishes were stacked either side of the stink and the trash can was full at her feet. Nick gently held a hand against the small of her back as he moved to stand behind her.

"Hey mom, how're you?"

"Exhausted – Harry and Michael are sick and Cory's in over his head with his homework. Your father's still on that damn business trip and it's looking like a storm is going to blow in on the east coast so he won't be home for at least another day and I just-" her words dropped off as she fumbled and the pot fell back into the water, splashing water and soap bubbles all over the floor and benches.

Sebastian watched sadly as Nick and his mother fell to the floor in a clumsy embrace, his mother weeping into her hands as she tried to hide her vulnerability. Nick simply watched on with a blank expression as he pulled her close.

Sebastian bit his lip before he quietly made his way up the stairs. In one room, two small boys were tucked into bed, sleeping through a fever. In another room, an older boy of perhaps thirteen was hunched over books on his desk, fingers gripped in his hair as he toiled over his homework. Sebastian shook his head before he drifted back and down to the closed door at the end of the hall.

Inside was the neatest room Sebastian had seen so far. The bed was made and the desk was neat, a study timetable pinned to the wall above it. Posters surrounded the timetable, of musicians and singers that Sebastian had heard people gushing over. But it was the pictures of the boys in navy and red blazers that caught his eye.

Nick was always in the middle, always smiling, and the only thing that came to Sebastian's head was "At least you belong somewhere."

Sebastian heard heavy footsteps headed for Nick's bedroom and froze where he was floating in mid-air. There was nowhere to hide. The door slowly swung open. Nick walked into the room. Shirtless.

Sebastian swooped forward, clamping a hand over Nick's mouth while he kicked the door shut. The boy's brown eyes were wide with fear and his cheeks were red with embarrassment.

"I'm sorry, I'll explain, but you have to promise not to scream. Please don't scream. They'll think you're crazy. You're the only person I've ever met who can see me. Please don't scream, Nick, please."

The boy relaxed slightly but he was still breathing heavily, his breath ticklish across the back of Sebastian's hand but not warm. He was too cold to feel the warmth. But at Nick's subtle nod he released him and floated away a few feet. Nick folded his arms across his chest, rubbing a hand over his upper arm as he watched the stranger floating in front of him.

"So who are you and why are you in my room?"

"I'm Jack Frost – but I prefer Sebastian."

"Why?"

"Just because," Sebastian answered but in all honesty he didn't know the answer to that question.

"And your reason for being here?"

"I saw you walking home… I was the voice you heard. I usually just say things out loud – no one has ever heard my voice before."

There was a moment of silence, Nick watching Sebastian apprehensively.

"You said you thought I looked sad. You asked me why I was sad. Why? Why do you care?"

"Because you don't deserve to be sad."

"You don't know what I deserve."

It was Sebastian's turn to frown then and as his eyes travelled down to the floor, he registered the thin white marks littered across Nick's arms and above the waistband of his trousers. Sebastian looked up at him sadly, drifting forward as he tugged up the sleeve of his thin white shirt. Barely visible against the pearly white of his skin were the same marks.

"You used to cut yourself too?" Nick whispered, his voice soft and hopeful.

"I don't know," Sebastian admitted.

This felt important. Sebastian couldn't dismiss this. The only person to ever see him and hear him had scars on his arms like he did. Maybe Nick was the key to his past. Maybe if Sebastian helped Nick and his family, Nick would be able to help him too. He had to try. He had to know. Jack Frost had been called Sebastian for far too long.

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**A/N: So this is the first instalment of my Christmas gift!fic to all of my wonderful followers and readers :) I got the idea this morning after Marissa (green-suspenders) went on a Rise of the Guardians/Jack Frost spam and this was originally gonna be an ROTG!AU but I cut it down to just Jack Frost because I didn't really know what I was doing when I started but I have a clearer idea now. I'm not sure how long it'll be but I know what's going to happen so consider it begun :p And I promise it's not gonna be a super-downer like some of my other fics have been. It's about being happy so hopefully it's going to **_**be **_**happy. But thank you for reading and have a happy holiday –Em xoxox**


	2. Chapter 2

Rating: PG

Characters: Sebastian, Nick Warbler

Warnings: None :)

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters used/mashed-up in this fic.

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**CHAPTER 2:**

Sebastian and Nick did not have long to talk. Nick had to help his brother with his homework and then cook dinner while his mother helped the twins to eat. Sebastian watched on in silence until they were alone in the kitchen.

"Is there anything I can do?" Sebastian murmured as he sat cross-legged in mid-air.

Nick shrugged helplessly. "Not unless you can get my dad home. Mom freaks out but we can manage otherwise. But that freakin' storm is just really bad timing. The boys start break tomorrow and it's gonna be mad trying to keep everything under control without him."

Sebastian perked up at this, a smile sneaking onto his face. "Nick, I can control the weather," he whispered.

Nick looked up from the carrots he had been chopping with a small twinkle of hope in his eye. "You can stop the storm?"

"It might take all I have in my arsenal but I can definitely try," Sebastian said as he rose higher in the air. He seemed to become much lighter when he was excited or happy.

"Please," Nick whispered, his eyes watering. "Please Sebastian, if you can."

Sebastian nodded as he grinned. He darted forward and hugged Nick quickly before backing towards the kitchen door.

"I'll go stop the storm. Leave a window open or something for me for when I come back?"

Nick hesitated but he nodded an affirmative and watched as Sebastian rushed out into the cold, dark night.

The journey to the eastern edges of the continent was quick and simple for Sebastian as he let the fastest air currents carry him along. As he passed over snow clouds, he sprinkled his magic to help the crystals and flakes fall, feeling the joy of people radiating from the earth moments later. He was still well inland when he saw the approaching storm. Lightning was flashing and thunder roared, rolling over the clouds in a deluge of sound. The thunderstorm seemed to be surrounded by a fence of snow clouds and with a harsh swallow; Sebastian flew deep into the clouds.

The wind buffeted and the lightning burned. He was soaked to the bone in moments and felt the snowflakes collect in his white hair. He tried to drain away the water and the ice, to spread it out so it wouldn't be as dangerous. If he could spread it all wide enough, the intensity of the storm would lessen and Nick's father would be able to fly home on time. But Sebastian was struggling.

Flying back above the cloudbank, Sebastian instead tried manipulating the wind to push the clouds in a different direction. He managed it for a few seconds but when he heard his staff creak and groan, he retracted the magic. Sebastian breathed deep but the wind was too loud in his ears and he felt lightheaded. But he had to try. He had to try. For Nick.

Diving deep into the storm, Sebastian released all of his magical energy. The staff glowed fluorescent blue and Sebastian yelled as his magic burst from his every pore, forcing the clouds apart around him. More lightning flashed and the force of the thunderbolt threw Sebastian back from the storm. He felt somewhat weakened, something he hadn't experienced before, and when he turned back towards the clouds, he began to feel overwhelmed.

More bursts of magic, more claps of thunder. Every time Sebastian was thrown through the air and every time he looked back, the storm was growing smaller. But he had not stopped the snow yet. The darker clouds loomed ominously, the last obstacle.

"Here we go."

Rain clouds and thunder clouds were wet and cold and unpleasant but Sebastian had never gotten used to the spine-chilling bitterness of a snow cloud. His blue eyes could see the magic swirling violently through the vapours. If he could absorb some of that magic, maybe he could stop the storm. Sebastian was almost out of time – this would be the last chance he had to stop the storm before it was close enough to the airport for the controllers to call off all flights.

Sebastian flew slowly into the magical field of the cloud, the staff heavy in his hands as it responded to the energy surrounding it. All he could hear was the loud buzz and the rolling _whoosh_ of the snow crystals circling around him. The crystals nicked and sliced his skin as he moved through them and as the cold seeped into his blood, Sebastian began absorbing the magic.

It felt like the hottest fire and the coldest ice. It was electrifying and numbing. Sebastian had never felt so alive or so close to death. He could feel the magic moving through him; pulsing, throbbing, thrumming. It was filling him up, oozing into every fibre of his body. He could feel himself drifting higher, above the clouds as they slowly disappeared, draining into his body.

A white light filled Sebastian's vision and he felt a smile creep across his features. He started to laugh; a high-pitched, maniacal sound. He felt nothing. He saw nothing. He heard nothing. It was him and the whirring magic contained only by his skin.

Until he hit the water.

Sebastian had fallen from the sky and as his body was pulled under the waves, he felt the magic leave him and his senses came back to him. He gasped for air but couldn't breathe, submerged still in the icy depths of the ocean. He gripped his staff tightly and felt himself be pulled upwards, back into the air. He coughed harshly; the salt water burning in his lungs as he drifted to rest along an air current that would carry him westward, back to Ohio.

Sebastian had never felt this way before. He felt cold and weak; something pulled at his stomach and made his head violently spin. He tried to tug his clothes tighter around him but they were as wet and cold as he was. His damp hair clung to his face and he felt tears of confusion well and freeze in his eyelashes.

His arrival back in Ohio was less than graceful. He had lost his sense of depth and collided with a tree in Nick's backyard, falling through the branches and down to the snowy ground. His head throbbing and the world spinning around him, Sebastian slowly flew up to the open window and climbed through into Nick's bedroom.

Nick was sitting on his bed reading when Sebastian fell to the floor but leapt to his feet at the poorly sight of the wintery spirit.

"Sebastian? Sebastian, what happened? What's wrong?" he asked in anxious whispers. He turned Sebastian onto his back but the boy was shaking violently, his teeth chattering as he shivered. "Oh god…"

Nick got to his feet again, yanking the thickest blanket off of his bed and wrapping it around them as he pulled Sebastian into his arms. He ran a hand through Sebastian's white hair, trying to brush out the ice crystals that had formed but they were already melting and Nick's hand came away wet.

"Hold onto me, Sebastian, we've gotta get you warm again," Nick murmured as he cradled the boy against him, rocking him gently. "You're gonna be okay."

Sebastian turned and looked up at him. "I stopped the storm," his voice was steadier than Nick expected. "I stopped the snow and the thunder and the rain… I stopped it for you."

"I know you did, 'Bas," Nick said as he carded his fingers through Sebastian's hair. "You did good."

"'Bas… I've never had a nickname before."

Nick smiled softly. "Well now you do."

Sebastian smiled back as he slowly wound an arm around Nick's waist, pulling himself closer to the boy. They stayed silent for a long time; Nick rocking and warming Sebastian as the boy watched his face.

When Sebastian had regained feeling and control in his legs, Nick helped him over to the bed and tucked him in. As he crossed over to the window to pull it shut, he heard Sebastian whisper quietly.

"You have beautiful eyes."

Nick blushed before he turned back to Sebastian, hesitantly crawling into bed beside him. He didn't say anything, simply curled up beside the boy who was bringing his father back to him and turned out the light.

"Sleep well, 'Bas."

"You too, Nick."

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**A/N: And there's that. I'm sorry if it's not as good as my stuff usually is – I was really struggling to write today. Unless I have some totally amazing idea, this won't be too long, about the same length as "Weekend at the Smythes". But I hope you enjoyed this chapter, thank you for reading and I hope you're looking forward to the next instalment :) –Frankie xoxox**


	3. Chapter 3

Rating: PG

Characters: Sebastian, Nick Warbler

Warnings: Mentions of past self-harm, talking about death

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters used/mashed-up in this fic.

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**CHAPTER 3:**

Nick woke early the next morning, smiling as he curled an arm around the warm body beside him. He hadn't woken up next to someone in a long time and had forgotten how good it felt. He shuffled closer, smoothing his open palm over the stomach of whoever was lying next to him.

Nick's eyes shot open.

Who was lying next to him?

Nick launched himself away, almost falling off the bed as he tried to figure out who he'd gone to bed with. He still had clothes on so it can't have been too serious. But who did he know with stark white hair and skin as white as snow.

_Oh right. Jack Frost. Jack Frost who prefers to be called Sebastian. Sebastian who has scars all over his arms like I do._

Nick relaxed back into the pillows, watching the sleeping boy beside him. When he was awake, Sebastian glowed with life but asleep, he seemed pale and sick, as if there was something missing. Nick reached out to touch him but spooked away again when he heard the front door burst open downstairs.

Nick slowly climbed out of bed and made his way downstairs, making sure to close his bedroom door behind him. In the small entrance hall, Nick's father Ben was shucking off his long jacket.

"Dad!" Nick exclaimed as he bounded down the last few steps and into his father's surprised embrace. "You're back!"

"I am – I hadn't expected anyone to be up so early. Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, everything's great," Nick answered with a goofy grin.

Ben's hand rested on his son's shoulder as he watched Nick proudly. "I forget how grown up you are sometimes… You're not my little boy anymore."

"I'll always be your little boy, Dad," Nick said.

"I know, I still worry about you though."

"You don't have to worry about me. Everything's fine."

"Everything?" Ben asked with a raise of his eyebrows.

Nick hadn't missed the subtle yet meaningful glance at his covered arms. "It's fine Dad, I promise."

Ben pulled his son into another hug. "I just want you to be happy, Nick."

"I am happy," Nick murmured.

"One day I'll believe you," Ben replied sadly before he pulled away, his gaze directed to the stairs. Nick turned to find Harry standing on the landing rubbing at his tired eyes.

"Daddy?"

"Hey Harry, are you alright?"

"I'm hungry."

"Well how about you come down and the three of us will have breakfast and you two can tell me what you've been up to."

Harry smiled and trotted down the stairs, Ben lifting him into his arms as he reached them. In the kitchen, Nick set to work cooking toast and pouring coffee and cereal. Harry was talking to Ben, more animated than he'd been in a week but he still talked with a stuffed up nose and paused to cough every now and again.

Soon, the rest of the family was in the kitchen, talking and laughing. Nick had kept quiet, feeling as if he had a secret. Which he did. He had several.

"How do you think the storm went away, Daddy?" Michael asked from where he was perched on his mother's lap.

"It must've been Jack Frost," Ben replied.

"Who's that?"

"He's the one that makes it cold and makes it snow. He must've stopped the storm for me so that I could come home."

Harry and Michael beamed, the smile infectious as it spread onto the faces of the entire family. But Nick's smile was different because all he could think about was the boy in his bed who preferred to be called "Sebastian".

After breakfast – which had become a far longer intrigue than usual – Nick escaped back to his room. Sebastian was still asleep but had rolled over, a small smile on his face. Nick carefully sat down on the edge of the bed, watching the winter spirit with what could only be called adoration.

"Thank you for bringing Dad back," Nick murmured before he stood again, crossing to his closet. He pulled out two shirts, two hoodies and two pairs of jeans. Sebastian was taller than he was but he seemed to have no qualms about the cold and Nick felt it wouldn't matter if his ankles were bare. He tossed one set of clothes onto the bed before Nick began changing out of his pyjamas.

"Nick…"

_First my shirt, now my pants. God forbid I ever try to shower around this guy._

Nick quickly tugged up his jeans, fastening the fly before he turned to Sebastian with a smile. "Morning 'Bas."

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, you?"

"Mmm," Sebastian sat up slowly and moved to sit on the edge of the bed. He ran his hands through his hair and over his face before he looked around, taking in his surroundings.

"Sebastian?"

"Your father's back."

"Yeah..?"

"You don't need me anymore."

Sebastian sounded hurt, and Nick couldn't disregard the pang of fear and pain in his chest. "Maybe – Maybe I still do. Maybe … I don't know. Maybe you could stick around. You could stay for a while, right? You don't have to be anywhere do you?"

"But why would I stay? What purpose would I have here? No one except you can see me."

"Well, perhaps we can find out why. We could find out who you were, what happened to you."

"Would you really help me do that?" Sebastian asked, his brow pulled together.

"I have this really disconcerting need to help you," Nick admitted. "There's something about you, Jack Frost."

Sebastian felt himself blush and heard Nick laugh before the two boys dressed and set about trying to find something of Sebastian's past.

They started by going for a walk, Nick heading towards the local park which he knew would be empty after the snowfall the night before. Especially considering it was already melting and turned to sludge. It was miserable outside really, rainclouds floating ominously overhead.

"So what do you remember? About before you were Jack Frost?" Nick asked as they strolled along the sidewalk.

"I remember … darkness and cold," Sebastian chuckled softly. "It wasn't too much different to now, really."

"That's all you can remember?"

"It's pretty pathetic, I know."

"No it isn't," Nick said, stopping where he stood. "It just means it'll be a little harder to start finding information."

Sebastian shrugged. "Tell me about you. Tell me about your past."

"There's not much to say there either," Nick murmured. "I'm eighteen; I'm on scholarship at Dalton Academy. I'm the captain of the Warblers."

"What's that?"

"It's the school's acapella choir. Our old captain died," Nick sniffled and looked away. "Um, what else… Well, I'm gay. And I used to cut myself."

"Can I ask why?"

"Well, it was hard after the old captain died. He'd been … messed up, for a really long time. We'd watched him go downhill, tried to help him every way we could think of. But it didn't stop him. And afterwards, the only thing I could think about was how I never got to tell him."

"Never got to tell him what?" Sebastian asked quietly. He had never seen someone so visibly upset but still able to keep themselves together.

"I never got to tell him that I loved him," Nick answered as he swiped his hands under his eyes.

"I'm sure he knows," Sebastian said in an attempt to be reassuring but he didn't get to see Nick's response. They had arrived in the park and something about the snowy playground was distinctly familiar.

Sebastian flew forward and through the trees, investigating every nook and cranny. He soared around the play equipment and over the pond before he stopped by some rocks.

"Nick!"

The boy had been watching in silent confusion but ran over at the call of his name. "What is it?"

"I've been here before," Sebastian said as he continued to dart about the pond.

"So you used to live around here? Do you know what happened? Did you get hurt or what?" The panic and worry in Nick's voice rang louder than the words he said.

"The pond, I remember the pond. I think…" Sebastian lowered his staff; touching the icy surface and making it melt. "I think I fell into this pond. I think I drowned."

"I've never heard of anyone drowning here. I thought they would've gotten rid of the pond if something like that had happened."

"There's a record of deaths, right? O-O-Obituaries?"

"Yeah, yeah, we can go to the library and check the old newspapers but 'Bas… What does it mean if we find out what happened to you? What will happen if you remember?"

Sebastian looked up to Nick with a blank expression. "I don't know, Nick."

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**A/N: Okay, I had a tiny little brainwave while writing this so there may be one or two more chapters than earlier anticipated. But I'm not going to name figures because I know it won't stay the way I say it if I stay it :p But I hope you liked this, I'm trying to show a funnier side of Nick because Curt is funny and I'm a terrible fan of actor bleed. Thank you for reading and I hope you're having a wonderful day :) –Frankie xoxo**


	4. Chapter 4

Rating: PG

Characters: Sebastian, Nick Warbler

Warnings: Discussion of past character death, mentions of self-harm and suicide

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters used/mashed-up in this fic.

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**CHAPTER 4:**

"We have to go now, Nick. We have to find out what happened!"

"'Bas, calm down, we'll find out what we can, I promise. But you've gotta calm down – and we need to figure out how to get there. The public library's on the other side of town and I don't have my wallet on me for bus fare."

"I'll fly you. I can fly you and we'll be there in no time," Sebastian zoomed forward until his face was an inch from Nick's. He had gripped the boy's shoulders and had a wild, desperate look in his eyes. "I need to know, Nick."

"Won't people be able to see me?"

"No, I've carried things before and they seem to disappear."

Nick narrowed his eyes slightly. "And I won't fall?"

Sebastian took his hand. "I would never let you fall."

"I'll stand up with you forever," Nick whispered. His eyes had glazed over with a memory but Sebastian didn't notice.

"Well what are we waiting for?" Sebastian grabbed Nick's arms and pulled them tightly around his neck. "Hold on tight."

"'Bas!" Nick yelled as they launched into the air. The wind was cold and loud, Sebastian's joyful laugh the only other thing Nick could hear. He just tried to focus on keeping his grip on the boy and not looking down. Heights had never been Nick's strong point.

"You're going to need to point out the library to me, Nick. I don't know where I'm going."

"It's right near a park. Just land in the biggest park you can see."

Sebastian chuckled again before they began making their descent. Sebastian landed carefully on his feet before he lowered Nick down. When the boy didn't let go, he chuckled and pulled Nick's arms from around his neck.

"You're on solid ground again, silly."

"Are you sure?"

"Very sure," Sebastian chuckled as he watched Nick tentatively open his eyes and let out a pent up breath. "Scared of heights?"

"Just a little… Can we stay a little closer to the ground on the way back?"

"Of course," Sebastian said with a soft smile before he looked around. "So where's the library?"

"Just over here," Nick answered as he headed over to the large stone building. "We'll check the newspaper obituaries first. Then local news stories about deaths. I'm guessing this is your same body as when you were … whatever it was you were before."

"Yeah, I'd guess so," Sebastian answered with a shrug. "I don't really know."

They lapsed into silence though as Nick stepped inside. The building was dark and the librarian at the front desk was half asleep. Nick bypassed her and headed to a small room at the back of the building. Along one wall were newspapers ordered by year of publication, stretching back as far as the eighteen sixties and in the middle of the room sat four computers.

"I'd better not touch the newspapers," Sebastian murmured. "I have the tendency to condensate."

Nick laughed softly as he crossed to the shelves. "When do you think you were born? Or when did you die? How many years have you been the infamous Jack Frost?"

"I resent that statement," Sebastian said with a low chuckle. "But I honestly don't know… I haven't had a very good grip on how much time has passed. And I like to follow the snow around so it's always winter wherever I am."

"Next time you forget everything that's ever happened to you, find out what year it is the first time you see another person."

"No one can see me."

"Then find a calendar or a clock or something," Nick shot him a grin.

"So where will you start?"

Nick turned and crossed to the computers in the middle of the room. "I'm thinking we try searching the computer database for stories about people named Sebastian."

"Why "Sebastian"? We don't even know if that was my real name."

"It's the best clue we've got. I can't very well search "pond" – the list would be a lot harder to narrow down," Nick said as he typed information into the computer.

It took a long time to sift through the articles. There was a man named Sebastian Rose who had won numerous county fairs with his prize-winning tulips. There was another man who had had a dog that could play the piano who had what Nick considered far too many articles. He didn't find a single article about a boy named Sebastian who had drowned in the local pond.

"Find anything?"

"Nope," Nick sighed, leaning back in the chair. Sebastian moved to stand behind him, peering at the screen.

"Why have you got that second thing in the search thingie?"

"That doesn't clear anything up, 'Bas."

"That second name with the dash in front of it. Smith?"

"Smythe," Nick murmured, looking away. "Just taking out some results that I know aren't relevant."

"Can we take a look at them anyway?"

"Why?"

"Something might jog my memory."

Nick sighed heavily but succumbed, deleting the minus sign that had kept out all the results he didn't wish to read. He leaned back and watched with arms crossed as Sebastian scanned through the articles.

"That third one, can you click on it?"

Nick obliged before looking away, listening as Sebastian read the article aloud.

"_On the morning of November 13, parents were horrified to find their children's beloved park invaded by the terror that is teen suicide. Sebastian Smythe, 17, was found dead in the pond at Westerville South Community Playground by the parents of children who had come to play on the playground. The police were called and it was soon ruled a suicide attempt when the coroner discovered deep lacerations in the boy's arms._

"_It was revealed by his parents, Marcus and Annabelle Smythe, that Sebastian had been a troubled young man for many years, after he had come out as gay to his friends and family. While a bright and talented boy, his heavy involvement in the singing group and lacrosse team at his school was not enough to express his deep, lingering depression._

""_Sebastian was a wonderful person. He had his flaws but he was caring and dedicated. He will be missed greatly by the Warblers," a student from Dalton Academy told us. A funeral will be held on Thursday for friends and family and a memorial plague will be hung at the school to commemorate Sebastian's contributions to their performing arts and sports faculties."_

Sebastian looked back to Nick, on the verge of tears. "Did you know about this?"

"I didn't know where they'd found him," Nick admitted, not looking Sebastian in the eye.

"You knew it was me. You knew, all this time!"

"Why the hell do you think I was so surprised to find you in my room?! You've been dead for a year, Sebastian! I was in love with you and you just left me here! I have to walk past a commemorative plaque three or four times every fucking day and try to pretend like it doesn't hurt!"

"Why didn't you just tell me?!"

"Because I didn't know if you were going to stay!" Nick yelled in the winter spirit's face, making Sebastian slink back a few steps. "I couldn't admit that it was you… Admitting it was you meant that I might have to go through losing you again… I had to figure out how to pretend it wasn't you, how to pretend you were some stranger. There's a reason I always call you 'Bas. It's because I always called him Seb."

Sebastian swallowed harshly. "And are you… I mean, do you still love me? Do you still want to be with me?"

Nick caught his bottom lip between his teeth and shook his head as he shrugged. "I don't know… I don't know what will happen."

"Do you want me to take you home?"

Nick nodded slowly before he closed down the computer and they headed back out into the cold. They remained silent, the journey home more gentle as Sebastian tried to filter what had just happened. He was gay. He had committed suicide. He was the reason for the scars on Nick's arms. He'd hurt this poor boy, and now he had to try and make it better.

Sebastian landed at the very back of Nick's yard, behind some bushes so that if he wanted to say something, his family wouldn't think he was crazy. Perhaps crazier than they already thought him to be, Sebastian wasn't sure anymore.

"Thank you for bringing me home," Nick murmured, looking to the ground.

"You're welcome," Sebastian paused. "I can stay if you want me to. I don't have anywhere to go."

Nick nodded. "I'll see how I go… I'll leave the window open if I want to talk to you."

"Before you go, can I just … try something?"

Nick watched him warily but nodded his agreement. Sebastian stepped forward, reaching up to cup the boy's cheek before he leaned in and kissed Nick gently. It was soft and gentle, there were no expectations – only questions. Was this right? Would this work? Was it going to help either of them?

Sebastian had no idea, but when Nick kissed him back and threw his arms around his neck, he knew it can't have been too bad.

.

.

**A/N: I waited a while to post this because I wanted to let you guys stew on what was going to happen. There will be Warblers in the next chapter and a few questions answered but in all honesty, I haven't quite figured out how this is going to end so if there's long waits between chapters, it's because I'm stuck hahaha And if you have any questions, feel free to ask them :) I've found that readers asking questions is the most inspiring thing and I wish that there were more forms of writing (preferably forms that pay) where readers get to ask questions and dictate (to an extent) where a story goes. But it keeps me thinking so if you have questions, don't be afraid to ask them! I hope you're having a wonderful day wherever you are and thank you for reading –Frankie xoxo**


	5. Chapter 5

Rating: PG

Characters: Sebastian, Nick Warbler, Jeff, Blaine

Warnings: Swearing, cliff-hanger

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters used/mashed-up in this fic.

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**CHAPTER 5:**

Nick hurried inside, the ghost of Sebastian's lips messing with his head as he kicked off his shoes and pulled off his jacket. The house was louder than he'd expected and when his father rushed into the kitchen with a stack of blankets in his arms, Nick was more confused than ever.

"Uh, Dad, what's going on?"

"You are having a sleepover."

"I'm having a – wait, what?"

"You're having a sleepover. I called your friend Jeff; he's rallying some of the other Warblers together. They'll be here at around seven with junk food and movies."

"But, what about Harry and Michael? They're sick. The guys will be so loud…"

"Your mother is taking the boys to your aunt's place for the night and I'll be heading over there as soon as I'm done helping you clean up the house," Ben explained as he carried the bundle into the living room.

"Dad, you don't have to do this," Nick said as he rushed after his father. The living room looked like it was made out of bedding. Pillows and blankets and foam mattresses covered the floor and furniture.

"I haven't seen you hang out with your friends in a long time, Nick. And it's your senior year; you can't spend it holed up in your room."

"Dad, I really don't want to see anyone tonight. I've had a long day – I need some time to chill out." Did that sound too desperate?

Ben looked to his eldest son sadly. "Nick, I'm worried about you – and so is your mother. Winter has always been hard on you, even before … _him_. I don't want you to isolate yourself."

Nick couldn't respond to that because he knew it was the truth. He stood stoically in the doorway where he had stopped, watching as his father rearranged pillows.

"Say something, Nick."

He took a deep breath, shaking his head. "There's nothing to say," he murmured as he turned and headed back upstairs.

Nick locked himself in the bathroom, turning on the shower and stripping down as he waited for it to heat up. The warm water soothed his aching muscles, bringing the feeling back to his fingers and face. He stood under the stream of water but Nick's head was elsewhere. All he could see in his mind's eye was the icy blue of Sebastian's new eyes and the blinding white of his hair. The way his lips curled away from his teeth when he smiled. The line of his jaw.

_Fuck I'm still in love with him_.

Nick let his head fall back against the wall of the shower, looking up at the ceiling. "This isn't fucking fair. I can't do this again. I can't love a winter spirit," he whispered to himself.

_You haven't tried._

Nick jolted, almost slipping over, as he jerked his head around but of course there was nothing there. Shutting off the shower, Nick wrapped a towel around himself and climbed out onto the bathmat. The bathroom was empty and he sighed, shaking his head.

_You're nuts, Nick. You're hearing things._

He towelled himself off and got dressed again before padding across the hall and into his room. Nick's gaze caught on his window and he remembered his promise to Sebastian. He couldn't deny that he wanted to see the boy again but he didn't know if he would be able to let him go when he had to leave again. And leaving was inevitable, because Sebastian had never been one for commitment outside of the Warblers.

Nick opened the window anyway.

It didn't take Sebastian long to clamber through the window – far more gracefully than the last time he had. He leaned his staff against Nick's desk before looking to the boy who had sat up from where he'd been lying in bed.

"Do you want to talk?" Sebastian asked quietly, sheepishly.

"What would we talk about, 'Bas? What even are we to each other? You're not the Sebastian that I know, no matter how much you try to be," Nick took a deep breath. "And I don't want you to be like him… I don't want to lose him again."

Sebastian moved forward, kneeling down in front of Nick and taking his hand gently. "Then I'll be me. I'll be me and you can be friends with me or fall in love with me or whatever the hell it is you want. I'll do whatever I have to to make you happy, Nick."

"Why? Why stick around when you could be doing whatever it is you've been doing for the last year? I'm not worth it."

"Nick, you're the only one who can see me. If I wasn't brought back like this to find you then I don't know why I'm here."

Nick wrapped his arms around Sebastian's neck and fell into his embrace, crying into his shoulder as the winter spirit rubbed his back and rocked him gently.

"Thank you for coming back," Nick whispered between sobs. "I missed you."

"I missed you too," Sebastian replied as he pulled away, only to have Nick yank them back together and force their lips together in a forceful kiss.

Nick was strong and when he wasn't paying attention, heavy. Sebastian fell back onto the floor, Nick barely ceasing his advances as he moved to lie over him. An unexplainable heat bloomed wherever their bodies touched and Sebastian gasped when he felt Nick's hand slide under his shirt.

"N-Nick! What are you doing?"

"Love you," he muttered between kisses. But Sebastian pushed him away and his expression turned from lustful to hurt in a flash. "Don't you want to-"

"Not now – not when we've just found out who I am…" Sebastian sat up, forcing Nick to shuffle backwards. He reached out to hold Nick's face gently. "I want to kiss you and learn about who you are first. I want to know how to make you smile and laugh, what to do when you're sad to make you feel better. I want to know you better as a person before I know you as a sensation."

Nick smiled crookedly before he leaned forward and kissed Sebastian gently. "Hi, I'm Nick."

"I'm Sebastian," he giggled before he pulled Nick into a warm embrace.

"My dad organised for some of my friends to come over tonight," Nick said sadly as he sat in Sebastian's lap, trailing his index finger over his shoulder in meaningless patterns.

"Do you want me to stay with you? Or up here?"

"Stay up here, I can sneak up and see you," Nick said with a wicked grin.

"Okay," Sebastian answered with brief squeeze before there was a loud knock on the door. They jumped apart before Nick raced over to the door and opened it, revealing Jeff and Blaine.

"We have come bearing gifts of junk food and bad movies!" Blaine proclaimed with a flourish and a laugh.

"I thought you guys weren't getting here 'til seven," Nick said worriedly.

"Uh, dude, it _is_ seven," Jeff replied as he checked his watch. "Ten past, in fact."

"Right, sorry," Nick ran a hand through his hair. "Um, I'll be right down. I think Dad's given us the living room if you wanna go get comfortable."

"Okay… Are you alright? You seem kind of … edgy," Blaine said, watching him with narrowed eyes.

"I'm fine, just lost track of time. I'm fine, I promise."

Blaine and Jeff nodded slowly before they headed back downstairs. Nick turned back to his room, smiling at Sebastian who looked just as keyed up as he felt. Nick crossed to him, pulling Sebastian against him and pushing his hair out of his face.

"It's okay, 'Bas, everything will be fine."

"What if one of them can see me? What do we do if someone else misses me? Or was in love with me?"

"Everything will be fine," Nick whispered as he kissed Sebastian once more. "I promise. I-I love you, 'Bas."

"I love you too."

"Nick, what the fuck are you doing?"

Nick spun around, Sebastian jumping back into the corner. Jeff stood in the doorway, phone in one hand and the local pizza place's menu in the other. He had a look of fear on his face, like he had seen Nick commit some terribly heinous act.

_He saw me kissing Sebastian. But he can't see Sebastian. Fuck. He thinks I'm kissing thin air. Oh god. Oh god._

It all came out in a terrible jumble. "Jeff, you don't understand. When Sebastian drowned in the pond, he came back as Jack Frost! I know you can't see him but that's just because you aren't meant to. I'm the only one who can see him because I was in love with him, because I needed to tell him how much I loved him!"

"Nick, calm down. You're talking nonsense. Jack Frost isn't real and Sebastian's dead. I know it hurt you when he died but you've gotta let it go. It's hurting you now too, Nick."

"No! 'Bas is alive! He's alive and he's right there!" Nick thrust out a finger to where Sebastian had been standing in the corner of the room but when he looked over, he was gone and the window was open. "'Bas, no, where are you?!"

"Nick, I think we need to get your dad... You're obviously not well today, you need rest."

"I'm not sick! I'm not lying! He was there, Jeff! I swear!" Nick rushed over to the window, leaning out at a precarious angle before with a gust of wind and a confused yelp; Nick lost his grip and fell headfirst out into the cold night.


	6. Chapter 6

Rating: PG

Characters: Sebastian, Nick Warbler, Jeff

Warnings: Talk of past self-harm, eensiest bit of medical squick (barely enough to need a warning but better safe than sorry)

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters used/mashed up in this fic.

**SUPER IMPORTANT A/N: I hate to be one of those fic writers but I reworked the outline for this fic and there will be a character death in an upcoming chapter (not this one). I'm really sorry to do this but I felt I needed to let you know that it was coming, I know some people struggle with character death. So my deepest and sincerest apologies for that. If you don't like character death but still want to find out what happens at the end, when you're ready to stop reading (the death won't be for another … 2 chapters, at least) feel free to message me and I will be happy to answer any questions you have about the end of the fic. I'd prefer if you didn't ask me on anon on tumblr because I don't want to spoil it for anyone else. So yeah, I'm sorry about this but I felt I needed to let you know. Enjoy this chapter :)**

.

**CHAPTER 6:**

Sebastian's heart was racing and the blood pulsing in his ears was all he could hear. His outstretched hand was shaking and Nick wavered where he hung in mid-air. The force of Sebastian stopping his fall had affected Nick in the same way as colliding with the ground but with less blood. Sebastian moved forward and pulled the unconscious boy into his arms before carefully lowering him to the ground.

"Wake up, Nick, you've gotta wake up. Why the hell did you jump out the window…" Sebastian pushed Nick's hair out of his face but pulled away when light flooded across the snowy backyard and the back door flew open.

"Nick! Nick! Oh my god!" Ben collapsed beside his son, reaching out to touch him but holding back for fear of hurting him.

"I've called for an ambulance. They said not to move him but to get him blankets to keep him warm," Blaine called from the porch. Jeff stood behind him, still shocked from watching Nick fall.

"Okay, bring some out. And Jeff, grab my phone so I can call Ellie."

Sebastian watched them set to work from where he stood beneath the kitchen window. Nick was unconscious but Sebastian couldn't discern if anything else was wrong. The only thing he could do was drain away the snow from where Nick lay and hope the ambulance would hurry.

The paramedics were indeed swift and as they sped away with Nick loaded into the back, Sebastian followed overhead. He followed them inside as well, watching numbly as Nick was tended to. He heard the doctors and nurses say things like "concussion" and "contusions" and "fractures" but the mentions of "lucky" and "miracle" gave Sebastian a slight feeling of hope.

Nick was taken upstairs to a ward where Ben and Jeff were talking to the police and Nick's doctor.

"So tell us again what happened, Jeff," the young female officer asked. They were all sitting off to the side while Sebastian lay in bed with a still unconscious Nick.

"Blaine and I had spoken to him when we got there but he'd been kind of wired – really jumpy and just didn't want to talk. So we went back downstairs. But then we needed his input for the pizza order so I headed back upstairs. I opened the door and he looked like he was hugging the air or something. I asked him what was going on and he just went off on this rant about Sebastian being Jack Frost. He started freaking out then, like something he thought was real was gone. He leaned out the window but lost his balance or grip or whatever and fell."

The officers turned to Ben again. "Has Nick ever had an episode like this before?"

"No, nothing like that. But he's had some issues with depression and self-harm. Sebastian was a close friend of Nick's and when he died last year, Nick didn't take it well," Ben sighed as he looked to the doctor. "What do we need to do? I mean – do we take him home or send him to some kind of rehab? What's the protocol?"

"We'll talk to Nick when he wakes up; see what kind of mindset he's in. The psych team will probably run some tests but if this is a first time occurrence and he doesn't seem a danger to anyone, he can go home. But he will need some form of therapy and medication regardless."

"Okay," Ben sighed heavily again, running a hand over his face. "I'd better get Jeff home. Will Nick be alright by himself?"

"He'll be fine," Sebastian murmured as he tightened his hold on Nick. As usual, nobody noticed him and the others all went about their business. A nurse came in and checked Nick's vital signs but then they were alone.

"I'm sorry I left you, Nick. I'm sorry I couldn't help you…"

Sebastian was stopped in his tracks when Nick groaned softly, stirring in his arms. Sebastian reached for the pain pump he had watched the nurse set up and pressed the button into Nick's hand.

"Stay still, Nick. I don't know how much you're allowed to move. You're holding onto the pain button though – if you need it."

Nick was merely blinking though, taking in his surroundings. He slowly turned to face Sebastian, a mixture of fear and thankfulness in his eyes.

"Did you catch me?"

"I will never let you fall."

"I'll stand up with you forever," Nick replied with a goofy grin as he hit the pain button.

"You keep saying that – what does it mean?"

"It was our song… The first duet we sand with the Warblers."

Sebastian nodded slowly. "I think I remember some of that…"

"It was when I first realised how much I loved you."

Sebastian smiled as he stroked Nick's hair and pressed a kiss to his temple. "I swear Nick; I'll find a way for us to be together."

"How?" Nick asked sleepily as he carefully snuggled into Sebastian's side.

"I'm going to go and find Father Frost. He might be able to transfer my powers to someone, or just take them away. And if he can't do that, he might be able to tell me who can."

"When will you go do that?"

Sebastian bit his lip and took a deep breath. "I'm going to leave when your father gets back… You're safe here."

Nick jerked away. "You're leaving me here?! You can't! I have to come with you!"

"Nick, calm down, I have to do this by myself. I'm sorry – I don't want to leave you."

"Get away! Get away from me!" Nick shoved at Sebastian's arm, tears streaming down his face. Sebastian quickly clambered off the bed, turning back to watch as Nick curled in on himself but he didn't dismiss the winces of pain. Sebastian carefully pulled the blanket up over Nick, positioning the pain button so he could reach it if he needed to before he leaned down and gently kissed Nick's cheek.

"I'll be back as soon as I can, I promise."

"I hate you," Nick whispered as Sebastian walked out.

The winter spirit knew Nick didn't mean it but that knowledge didn't stop the pang of guilt that flooded him as the door clicked shut behind him.

.

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**A/N: *slowly appears from behind a large rock* Who hates me? Don't be shy, just don't get any closer :p I'm so sorry about this. I did try to make it happier but it just didn't work. I'm too much of an angst fan. But yes, there's perhaps 4 chapters at most left of this unless of course I have another brainwave. If you have any questions of any kind regarding this fic, please let me know and I'll try my best to answer. I hope you're enjoying it so far and thank you for reading –Frankie xoxo**


	7. Chapter 7

Rating: PG

Characters: Sebastian, Nick Warbler

Warnings: None :)

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters used/mashed-up in this fic.

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**CHAPTER 7:**

Nick hated therapy. Nick hated the therapist. Nick hated the medication. Nick hated the way Jeff talked to him now. Nick hated the way his parents looked at him. Nick hated how many hugs he was getting from Harry and Michael. He hated everything and part of him wanted to run away but he couldn't bring himself to do it. He had to stay in Westerville. Because one day, Sebastian might come back.

Nick had tried so hard to hate the winter spirit but he couldn't do it. He only wished that he had some way to remember him, to know that he was real. But it had been a month since the hospital and Sebastian hadn't come back yet.

But Nick was stuck in therapy, sitting in the too-comfortable armchair with his arms folded across his chest while Stephenie the psychologist sat across from him with a notepad on her knee.

"Is there anything you want to talk about today, Nick?"

"How much longer do I have to sit here telling you the truth before you agree there's nothing wrong with me?"

"Nick, you know I can't just-"

"Why would I lie? Why would I lie that he's alive?"

"It's not a matter of lying, Nick, it's a matter of perce-"

"Perception? Really?" Nick shook his head. "This is a waste of my time."

"Why do you think that?" Stephenie scribbled something down in her notes.

"Because Sebastian's not dead and I didn't jump out that window."

"There's never been any speculation over whether you jumped or not."

"That's what they all said," Nick murmured as he got to his feet and crossed to the window. He'd found that not looking at Stephenie helped keep him calm. Something about this whole experience had left him bitter and angry.

"And who are they?"

"My parents, Jeff, the doctors… Everyone thinks I'm crazy and that if they say or do something wrong I'll shatter into a million pieces."

"Why do you think they feel that way?"

"Because they care about me," Nick sighed. "I know they care and that they just want to help but they aren't helping."

"Why aren't they helping?"

"Because I can't forget about Sebastian… I can't stop loving him. He's too important. I get that he's hurt me and that holding onto him is bad but… 'Bas is the best friend I've ever had."

"You don't have to hold onto him for Sebastian to still be the best friend you've ever had. You can always go forward and make new friends. What are you going to do when you go to college in the Fall? You'll meet so many new people, what if Sebastian slips away without you realising?"

"He won't," Nick whispered as he looked to the clouds in the sky.

"But what if he does? How will you cope without him?"

Nick tensed at the last question, his fingers instinctively curling up to tug down his sleeve. "The same way I always have," he whispered before he turned back to face his therapist.

It was snowing outside.

.

.

.

Sebastian never would have thought it would be so difficult to find Father Frost. He was supposed to be the most powerful winter spirit in the world, leaving a trail of blizzards and snowstorms in his wake. But no matter where he looked, Sebastian couldn't find the man he was looking for.

It had been too long since he'd left Nick. He needed to get back. But he couldn't go back without an answer, without a way for them to be together.

As he drifted along an air current over a mountain range in Alaska, Sebastian started to make plans to go back to Westerville. But a burst of blue light in one of the valleys caught his eye. After stopping the storm that had brought Ben back to his family, Sebastian knew that light anywhere.

Winter magic.

Soaring down to the valley, Sebastian searched for the light's source but the intermittent bursts of magic kept blinding him. Reaching out with his staff, he tried to use it as a buffer so he didn't fly into anything but it made no difference and Sebastian found himself tucked between two small trees. He sunk to the ground, curling in on himself and shaking.

_I have to find Father Frost… I have to find him. He has to help me. He's the only one who can…_

Sebastian started thinking about Nick then. He thought of how hugging Nick made him feel warm, even though it should have been physically impossible. He thought of the way Nick had clung to him when they flew to the library. But mostly, Sebastian thought about Nick's smile. That smile could light up the night.

With the thought of Nick's dazzling smile in his head, Sebastian got to his feet and continued making his way through the snowy valley towards the source of the magical light that still flashed and bloomed through the mountains. He stumbled and tripped but he didn't stop, he kept going, because as he grew closer, he began to make out the figure of a man standing at the source of the magic.

When he was within earshot, Sebastian called out to the man.

"I'm looking for Father Frost. My name is Sebastian, I'm a winter spirit, and I need his help."

An elderly man appeared, the light finally ceasing its brutal onslaught. He was tall and thin with hair the same stark white as Sebastian's and when he was close enough, Sebastian saw they shared the same eye colour as well.

"Can you help me?" Sebastian asked, panting.

"That depends on what you seek," the old man answered.

"I'm looking for a way for winter spirits to become human. Or for a human to become like us."

"Then I cannot help you," the old man said as he turned and began trudging through the snow.

"So you're Father Frost?" Sebastian asked as he stumbled along behind him. He couldn't remember the last time he had slept and walking had always taken more effort than flying. But if Father Frost could walk in the snow then so could he.

"Some call me that."

"What do you prefer to be called?"

Father Frost turned to Sebastian and smiled. "That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet. I have never cared very much for labels, Sebastian."

"Then how do you know my name?"

"The Man in the Moon always tells me when one of my apprentices is coming to visit. It did take you a lot longer than I thought it would have. Hence the little light show I was putting on."

Sebastian nodded slowly and watched in silence as Father Frost carefully brushed some snowflakes off a flowery bush.

"Why do you wish to know if you can become human?"

"I'm uh… I found where I came from. And there was somebody there that I left behind, someone I should have stayed to protect."

"You can't protect him the way you are now?"

"I thought I could," Sebastian shook his head. "But there was an accident… His family think he's losing his mind, they don't know how to help him. I do. But I can only help him if the rest of the world can see me. Or if he can leave and be with me."

Father Frost cast a sidelong glance to Sebastian. "Why do you feel the need to help him? What significance is this boy to you?"

"When I was human, I was his best friend. My death caused him a lot of pain; it hurt him in many different ways. He was … in love with me."

"And is the feeling requited?"

Sebastian took a deep breath and clasped his hands behind his back, the curled top of his staff resting against his head. "I have never felt so strongly about another person in my entire existence."

Father Frost nodded slowly before he turned to face Sebastian properly. "There is only one piece of information I can think of that may be of use to you."

"Please, what is it?"

"Winter spirits are born when someone dies alone in the cold-"

"Are you saying I should let Nick freeze to death?"

"Let me explain," Father Frost said, gesturing for Sebastian to calm down. "If someone dies in the cold but does not wish to be a winter spirit, they forfeit their powers to someone else. I may be able to sway the Man in the Moon to reserve one of those positions for your friend, your _Nick_."

Sebastian's eyes widened hopefully. "Would you really be able to do that?"

"I can certainly try."

"Oh please, please try. Try as hard as you can. I will be forever in your debt."

Father Frost nodded simply. "I will speak with him. But remember Sebastian, whatever happens, _you_ will be the one responsible for the consequences."

Sebastian nodded tersely before he bowed. "Thank you Father Frost. I will return to Nick's side now."

Father Frost nodded again and watched sadly as Sebastian ran off into the night. The clouds parted overhead and moonlight illuminated the valley.

_He will not get back in time, old friend._

"I know, but he has to try."

.

.

**A/N: I wonder who the magically underlined and italicised voice is. Hmm, things to ponder. There are a lot of clues scattered throughout this chapter about various things that are happening in the next chapter (the big scary sad one) so I hope you were watching closely :) I may have another update tonight but I'm not sure, it depends how difficult I find the next chapter to write. And as always if you have any questions, don't be afraid to ask them :) Have a wonderful day –Frankie xoxo**


	8. Chapter 8

Rating: T

Characters: Sebastian, Nick Warbler

Warnings: Character death, suicide, self-harm, blood, sadness

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters used/mashed-up in this story.

A/N: This is it, the big one full of sads. Be brave.

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**CHAPTER 8:**

Sebastian felt ecstatic as he flew back to Westerville. The thought of being with Nick for all eternity was liberating. He wanted to cry and scream and sing and yell out his happiness for the entire world to hear. He wanted to make sure that everyone knew he was flying home to the love of his life. He didn't dare think about what Father Frost had said – there would be no need for consequences tonight. Everything was going to be perfect.

Flying into Westerville made his heart beat fast with anticipation. Sebastian felt giddy and jumpy, glad that no one could see how childlike he was with excitement pulsing through his veins. He twirled and looped through the air a few times as he made his way to Nick's house. All of the lights were on inside except for in Nick's room. The window was locked and Sebastian couldn't get in. He instead flew down to the kitchen window which stood slightly ajar and from within bellowed the angry voice of Nick's father.

"I'm not kidding around here, Jeff! If you've seen or heard from Nick I need to fucking know!"

…

"Well, have you got any idea where he would go? Sebastian's grave, maybe? Would he go to Dalton?"

…

"Okay, okay… Could you get the other Warblers to try calling him or looking for him? We've called the police and I was about to call the hospital. If you hear from him, call me or Ellie right away."

…

"Thanks Jeff, take care. Sorry I yelled," Ben's tone of voice changed then. "Jeff hasn't heard from him or seen him. He'll call around the Warblers and get back to us if he hears anything. … God, why would he do this? Why the hell would he run away?"

Sebastian pulled away from the kitchen window then, his heart racing even faster. Nick was gone. Nick had disappeared. Sebastian glanced up to the overcast sky and swore under his breath before he launched himself into the air and made his way towards the graveyard. He didn't know where his old body had been buried but he couldn't find any footprints in the snow and decided to look elsewhere.

The intimidating sound of the police sirens spurred Sebastian forward. He had to find Nick before they did. He might be able to help him, stop him from making a mistake. But deep down, Sebastian knew that if Nick was set on something, he probably would have already achieved it.

Swallowing harshly, he shook the idea from his head and Sebastian found himself drifting back towards the neighbourhood where Nick lived. Nick wouldn't go back to the hospital and Dalton was too far to go without a car. The library would be closed and the only other place Sebastian knew that held any significance to Nick was the park.

The realisation flooded Sebastian's mind then and he found himself flying faster than he ever had before.

Father Frost had known something was going to happen. He had warned him of consequences and told him what happened to people who died alone in the cold. But Nick couldn't go out that way. Sebastian wouldn't let him die alone. He wouldn't let him die at all if he could stop it.

The park was almost pitch black – the streetlights didn't reach past the sidewalk – and Sebastian was struggling to find his way around. He checked all through the play equipment and amongst the trees but he found Nick where he had expected him to be.

Sitting beside one of the rocks, curled in on himself, was Nick. He was shaking, dressed in only a pair of jeans, shoes and a thin t-shirt. Sebastian was panting heavily as he fell to his knees beside the boy, tossing his staff away as he watched with wide eyes.

"Nick?" he asked, his voice little more than a breath.

"He's gone… He's gone, he's not coming back. He doesn't love you – doesn't want you. It'll all go away. Just make it go away." Nick shifted and as Sebastian's eyes adjusted to the dim light, he saw the dark red stain on the front of Nick's shirt and the light reflected off the razorblade in his hand. Sebastian reached down and pulled the blade away from Nick, tossing it back and listened to the _plop_ as it fell in the pond.

"Nick, listen to me, I'm here, 'Bas is here." Sebastian pulled Nick's shaking body into his arms, wrapping him in a warm embrace. Nick looked up at him with teary eyes, his lip quivering as he lifted a shaking hand to touch Sebastian's face.

"You're real," he whispered.

Sebastian felt tears well in his eyes as he covered Nick's hand with his own, feeling the wetness of blood smear over his skin. "Y-Yes, I'm real, I'm here Nick. I'm not gonna leave you, okay? Everything's gonna be fine."

"I'm the only one who sees," Nick whispered, his eyelids drooping.

"Yes, yes you are," Sebastian took a deep shuddering breath. "Because you're special. You're special and I love you."

"I don't hate you, 'Bas… Do you hate me?"

"No, no of course not," Sebastian was squeezing Nick's hand as he held it against his cheek. "You've gotta hold on for me, Nick. You've gotta hold on. They're gonna come and find you. They're gonna help you."

"Can't you help me?"

"I don't know how," Sebastian's breath hitched as his throat tried to close up. "God – Nick you can't die. Why did you do this?! Why would you hurt yourself like this?!"

"Didn't think you were coming back," Nick murmured as he slumped a little more against Sebastian. His eyes were closed now and Sebastian didn't know what to do.

"Keep talking to me, Nick! You've gotta keep talking! Don't leave me here! You can't leave me here!"

"Love you, 'Bas."

Sebastian watched in horror as Nick's body slacked in his arms, Nick's hand falling from his own. He pulled Nick up again, shaking him harder than he should have. He pressed kisses to Nick's face, his lips coming away tasting of blood.

"Wake up, Nick! You have to wake up! Stay with me!" He rocked the boy gently, stroking his hair and matting it with his own blood as he cried.

Sebastian didn't know how to help him; he didn't know how to bring Nick back. And now that he wasn't alone, there was no chance of ever seeing him again. Father Frost had warned him, had told him to stay away, and he hadn't listened.

The first Sebastian had left Nick alone and made him want to die. The second one had made it happen. And with the new pain in his chest, the cycle wore on.

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**A/N: *hands you a tissue and your comfort food of choice* I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry. –Frankie xoxo**


	9. Chapter 9

Rating: PG

Characters: Sebastian

Warnings: Talk about death/suicide, idiot fake journalists writing offensive articles

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters used/mashed-up in this fic.

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**CHAPTER 9:**

It took the police hours to find Nick. It was almost dawn when they finally pried him away from Sebastian who simply watched on with a sinking feeling in his chest. There was no warmth left in Nick's body when they took him away and Sebastian felt as if the boy had never been alive at all. There was no chance to save Nick, he was long gone now and as Sebastian stood to collect his staff, he knew that there was nothing anyone could have done.

Sebastian milled around Westerville for the next few days, sneaking into Nick's – former – house and listening in as Ben and Ellie made arrangements for the funeral. It was to be held in the church – the only place large enough to hold all of the people who had enquired about the ceremony. Sebastian hadn't been aware that Nick had had so many friends.

The day after they found Nick's body was the hardest. Sebastian had slept in Nick's room, partially to be surrounded by what _was_ left of the boy and partially so that if there were any developments, he would find out sooner rather than later. And that morning, there had indeed been a horrible development.

Sebastian had stood in the kitchen, leaning back against the sink watching impatiently as Ben ranted and raved about the article in the paper. He had already had a shouting match over the phone with the Westerville Chronicle's editor but the damage had already been done. Sebastian just needed to get his hands on the article to find out what had actually been written.

When Ben and Ellie finally left to do some grocery shopping, Sebastian sat down at the kitchen and carefully used a pen to leaf through the newspaper until he found the article; a black and white picture of Nick's smiling face taking up half the page. Albeit it was a small page – it was a small newspaper.

_TEENS FOLLOWING SUICIDE SUIT_

_Another tragedy has struck the Westerville South Community Park where the police found Nick Duval's body this morning by the pond. This is the second teen suicide to occur in the park in just over a year and the community has had enough._

_When Sebastian Smythe took his life in the park, parents and community members were shocked – terrified to learn that teenagers had so little respect for the world around them. _

_One citizen, who asked to remain anonymous, told us "These teenagers are being selfish! Kids come to play here but what happens when they learn someone died at their favourite park? And how do parents explain such an occurrence to their children? There is no excuse for this heinous behaviour."_

_It was revealed by another anonymous source that Duval had been friends with Sebastian Smythe. This piece of information has only served to make this reporter wonder if there is a trend emerging. How many more teen suicides is this city going to see before adolescents learn what it is to be part of a community?_

Sebastian took deep breaths, knowing he couldn't get angry inside the house – the Duvals had enough to deal with. He let his hand slip over the page, releasing just enough moisture to smear the words. He looked to the picture of Nick and shook his hand. How dare they use his beautiful Nick in their quest to express their misinformed, ignorant prejudices?

Sebastian instead stormed outside and took off into the clear blue skies. He flew far away from Westerville, running away from the sun and into the night-time. He had no idea where he was when he touched back down but he was in the middle of a forest – just where he needed to be. He climbed a tree, carefully perching atop its highest branch before he turned his blue eyes to the full moon.

"So what do I do now? Wander around aimlessly for the rest of my existence? Did you lead me to him only to take him away again or is there something you're not telling me? I know you had said something to Father Frost, what was it? Was I meant to be there when he died? He would have become like me if I hadn't been there."

Sebastian bowed his head again, closing his eyes tightly as a single sob wracked his chest. "Why am I here?! Father Frost said we get a choice but why the hell would I _choose _this?! Kill me! Kill me now so I can be with him! I don't want this if I can't have him!"

A cold wind blew around Sebastian but the Man in the Moon didn't say anything. The winter spirit kept staring up at him though, despite the stinging in his eyes. It wasn't fair and Sebastian wasn't going to let some mysterious entity ruin the last good thing he'd had.

The next morning, Sebastian returned just in time to catch the Duvals leaving for the funeral. Harry was standing in the front entrance, his mother fixing his tie as he fidgeted.

"Mommy, why do we have to get dressed up? Aren't we just going to see Nick?"

"W-We're going somewhere special to see Nick today, sweetie," Ellie said as she tried to hold back the tears.

"And then he's coming home with us, right?"

Ellie looked into Harry's eyes and shook her head slightly. "Not this time. We're going to say goodbye."

Sebastian had to turn away then; he couldn't stand the look of shock on Harry's face. His world was shattered. His big brother wasn't coming back. Sebastian had a feeling this was the first chip of Harry's innocence that was falling away from him. The winter spirit looked to the end of the street and carefully raised a hand, watching as the magic flowed from him and snow began to fall.

There had to be at least a little wonder left in Harry and Michael's lives.

The ceremony was nothing extraordinary. Nick lay in his coffin at the front, Sebastian standing beside it the entire time and trying not to cry in case he accidentally unleashed a snowstorm. He was angry and frustrated and so _alone_.

A priest preached and passages were read and hymns sung through tears. Jeff and Blaine and another Warbler Sebastian didn't recognise read a eulogy that seemed far too short and far too negative. But when Ben got to his feet and staggered to the podium, Sebastian couldn't help but tense in fear. The man didn't have a good reign on his emotions and the winter spirit wasn't sure if he wanted to hear what he had to say.

Gripping the podium, Ben looked out at the crowd through puffy eyes. "Nick was my first born son. I remember holding him in my arms the day he was born, looking into his small brown eyes and just being amazed by the enormity of what he was. This tiny little baby was mine and Ellie's to raise and love and look after.

"I want to say that this isn't anyone's fault and it isn't but I can't help but feel that it's mine," Ben looked tearfully to his son, motionless in his coffin. "I'm sorry that I couldn't help you, Nick. I'm sorry that I forced you into things you didn't want – maybe didn't even need. I'm sorry that I never believed you and I'm sorry that there was nothing we could say to each other to make it better. But mostly I'm sorry that you died alone – it never should have been that way. You didn't deserve to be alone."

Something inside Sebastian snapped then and he couldn't help himself when a ball of snow collected in his hands. He threw it directly at Ben, watching with a smirk as it collided with the man before Sebastian stalked out of the chapel, fist clenched tightly around his staff as he tried to forget the words Ben had said. Because no matter how much the man wanted to take the blame, the blame would always lie with Sebastian.

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**A/N: I'm thinking the next chapter will be the last for this fic though I'm not sure because there are a few things I still need to sort out. It might just be really long. I don't know what I'll be working on when this is finished, I did have an idea about a Care Bears AU or something a little sillier but I'm not sure. If there's anything you would like me to write, don't be afraid to suggest it – two heads are always better than one. I hope you're having a wonderful day –Frankie xoxo**


	10. Chapter 10

Rating: PG

Characters: Sebastian, Nick Warbler

Warnings: None

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters used/mashed-up in this fic.

A/N: This is the last chapter of "Frost-bitten Heart" so enjoy and thank you for reading.

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**CHAPTER 10:**

The weeks that followed were spent in sullen silence for Sebastian. He didn't bother trying to find out what had happened to Nick – he knew he wouldn't be able to handle it if he tried. The Man in the Moon still hadn't said anything to him either and Sebastian was beginning to find that more unnerving than the uncertainty over Nick.

Sebastian let the wind carry him where it may. He felt without purpose again and had no idea what to do with himself. Winter was almost over though and Sebastian knew he would have to go south soon to protect himself and his powers. But as he flew over what he was sure was Texas, he was surprised to find a snowstorm.

He knew he had to investigate but Sebastian didn't really want to see any of his fellow winter spirits. But it was the end of winter and a snowstorm over Texas was far too unseasonal to ignore. Must have been someone new.

At the source of the storm stood a winter spirit. He was shorter than Sebastian with white hair that fell like a mop on the top of his head. Sebastian approached him slowly, feeling a sense of apprehension as he neared the stranger but when he turned around, all of his fear was washed away.

"Hello? Can you help me? I didn't mean to start the snowstorm but I don't know how to stop it," the spirit called. Sebastian ignored him, instead watching with wide eyes as he tried to imagine the spirit with dark brown hair and brown eyes.

"It's you…"

"I beg your pardon?"

Sebastian darted forward, reaching out and taking the stranger's hand in his own, yanking the man's sleeve up to reveal a maze of white scars. Looking back to the blue eyes that mirrored his own, Sebastian reached up to touch the spirit's cheek.

"Do you know who I am?"

The winter spirit went to shake his head but realisation bloomed in his eyes and he gasped softly. He reached up to card his fingers through Sebastian's hair before he pulled his head forward into a deep kiss. Sebastian flung his arms around Nick's shoulders, whispering "I love you" into the man's mouth as he tried to pull him close enough to explain that he never wanted to let him go again.

"'Bas, I can't believe you found me!" Nick gasped when they broke for air.

"I didn't think you'd become like me – Father Frost told me you had to die alone in the cold to be like me."

Nick stroked a thumb over Sebastian's cheek, fingers curling around his ear. "The Man in the Moon – he granted me a wish."

"Wish? What wish?" Sebastian shook his head but all he wanted was to remember what Nick's face looked like, how it felt to hold him, to press their bodies flush together.

"For salvation, for a safe place, for-"

"Oh thank god," Sebastian cried as he pulled Nick against him once more. "I'm so glad you're safe, Nick. Oh thank god."

"'Bas, 'Bas wait for a second," Nick turned to look into Sebastian's eyes. "I made that wish for both of us… I wished that both of us would be safe and happy and … _together_."

Sebastian nodded slowly. "And are we _together_?"

Nick smiled and stroked back Sebastian's hair. "Yeah, I think we are."

Sebastian smiled and leaned in for another kiss.

"So what are we gonna do first, 'Bas? We have eternity…"

Sebastian pulled away and with a slight smile, he twined their fingers together and tugged Nick into the air. "We're going to go back to Westerville and leave a message for your brothers."

Nick didn't question the idea, following Sebastian in silence as they soared across the country. The United States looked different from the air – it was still vast and intimidating but everything was miniature and that somehow made it manageable.

Westerville was warming up already and the pair found it harder to fly, soon giving up and walking along the pavement to Nick's house. Their hands were still clasped together, swinging between them as they walked.

"Why is it you want me to leave a message for my brothers?" Nick asked as they arrived at the front of the house.

"Because the worst thing about your funeral was Harry not understanding that you weren't coming back," Sebastian answered seriously as he watched for Nick's reaction.

The winter spirit simply nodded once before he headed up the front path and up the steps to the porch. Sebastian followed and watched as Nick fogged up the window and traced a cartoon cat face into the condensation. He released more magic to freeze the condensation in place before Nick turned back to Sebastian.

"They'll understand who it was."

"What is that?" Sebastian asked as he turned and they began walking back away from the house.

"It was something I used to draw for them. Just a silly thing I came up with one day. We have one of those little boards in the kitchen and if I had to leave for school or whatever early, I'd draw it so that they would know I was okay."

"Sounds neat," Sebastian said with a smile.

"I actually started doing it more after you died," Nick said matter-of-factly. "The boys knew something was wrong with me – Mom and Dad didn't tell them what was wrong, just that I was sick and had to take medicine and see a doctor sometimes. I'd scribble it on there in the mornings to let them know I was okay. If it wasn't up there, they knew I needed time to myself and that they had to be gentle with me."

Sebastian stopped and pulled Nick around to face him. "Nick, that is so…"

"Insane?" Nick prompted, looking down but Sebastian's fingers quickly moved to pull his chin up again.

"Amazing," Sebastian whispered before he leaned down and kissed Nick gently. "You are so amazing."

"I'm so glad you're alive, 'Bas."

"And I'm glad you're alive," Sebastian answered before he took Nick's hand.

They would make it through together. They both had frost-bitten hearts now, unbreakable hearts. And with each other, they could do anything.

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**A/N: Well here we are, at the end of another fic. I hope you've enjoyed this and that the ending wasn't too corny for you. I'm slowly formulating an idea for my next fic but I don't know when I'll start posting it so keep an eye out for that too :) So thank you for reading and reviewing and as always, I hope you're having a wonderful day –Frankie xoxo**


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